Halloween -OOPS - winter rally...

Our Halloween rally took place this weekend when the tri-state area got hit with the surprise October snowstorm.  Despite the cold and the wind and the snow and the rain and the lack of power many people thought it was the best rally ever.  I guess when you go through adversity with someone it builds bonds - 'cause everyone was joking and saying what a good time they had.

Anyhow, here are some photos of the way it look.  Probably got about 4-6 inches of snow at the worst.

Rally table decorations

I've made some table decorations for the rally.  Now I just have to find enough empty jars.

They look better in person.

Berger Cookies

Berger cookies are available only at certain supermarkets in Maryland and through mail order.  They are yellow cake cookies with about an inch of luscious chocolate frosting on top. Photos do not do them justice.

Mark and Josh and I went up to Lena's Deli in Waterbury, CT for cousin Leah and Steve's annual BBQ.  They make their own BBQ sauce - Outlaw BBQ - and sell it in stores and on line at www.5-0bbq.com.  They also do competitions.  Anyhow,  Leah was kind enough to bring the Berger Cookies from MD with her.

 

This is Josh, Cousin Steve, Cousin Leah and Mark after enjoying the BBQ.

Wonderful ribs...

These are Judy's wonderful ribs...we also had shrimp, noodles, burgers and salad.

But the ribs are the best!

Horrible weather...

We had some really bad weather yesterday.  We even made it onto the weather channel.

These are some photos of of the hail and the river that ran down our street.

It's always exciting to be part of a weather event:)

Wounded Warrior Basket Craft

At a flea market I saw a woman who was selling baskets to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.  She was nice enough to explain to me how she did it and I plan to try it when I get home and get the materials...

You take any basket and those decorated 2 ply paper napkins that can often be found in dollar stores.  Use Mod Podge to glue the napkin layers to the basket taking advantage of the weaving when you press the napkins to the basket.  Then put several layers of Mod Podge over the napkins to give the basket a nice gloss.

This is the basket I bought..

The colors are a little bit off- they are really beautiful autumn hues....

Bronx hat

Last Saturday night I had a creative impulse based on something I had seen at a happy hour earlier.  Someone had made a hat with BRONX across it in bling.  I didn't like the bling so this is my version of the Bronx hat...I am a Bronxite, of course.

Then I made one for my BFF using pink lettering...

I met Lana!

Today was an exciting day.  It's not every day that I meet someone who has become my friend over the internet.  But today I met - in person-  Lana and her husband Allen who I've come to know through my Magical Holiday Home forum.
We had a great - although all too brief- talk about crafts and life, etc.  It would be so great to meet ALL my internet friends.

This is me and my friend Lana.

Crafting

It's been pretty relaxing the last few days and I've managed to get some crafting done.

First I helped Belle with her father's day gift for her Dad...

Then I used old Christmas cards to make a snowman wreath.  I found the idea years ago and I've had the wooden wreath for a long time.  I Mod Podged the individual cut outs, the Mod Podged them to the wreath for and finally put a coat of Mod Podge Outdoors over the whole thing.

and I finished my woven box top..

Now back to working on my knitting.

This has been a UFO for about 2 years so now is the time to get it done.

Gefilte fish

For those who don't know what gefilte fish is it's kind of like a fish dumpling or a fish ball.  It's made with a combination of whitefish, pike and carp and seasoned. I've heard that other cuisines have things similar to it, but nothing exactly like it. It's a staple at Rosh Hashannah (New Year) and Passover dinners which is why I find myself making it today.

It's not really hard to make as the fishmonger does all the hard work, filleting and grinding the fish.  I do have memories of my mother and grandmother standing around the kitchen table - which was covered with brown paper - the grinder attached to one end - filleting the fish and feeding it through the grinder into a large wooden bowl in which the fish was then chopped  and seasoned.  The memories are lovely but having this work done for me is a big plus in my book.

Nowadays I buy the fish with the bones skin and head packaged separately.  I make broth with the bones, etc., adding an onion, salt and pepper.  While this is being done I dump the fish in a bowl and season it with grated onion (also supplied by the fishmonger), salt, pepper, eggs and matzoh meal and perhaps a bissel (tiny bit) of sugar.  Then I strain the broth, wet my hands and make balls out of the seasoned fish - I drop them into the boiling broth with some sliced carrots and simmer about 1 1/2 hours.  BTW, this is all done in my mother's/grandmother's original pot with her original chopper!

When the fish is done is goes into the fridge with some broth, which hopefully jells, and the carrots to be served later with horseradish - Gold's red.

During this process the entire house smells of cooking fish - I smell of cooking fish -which is not too pleasant.  Maybe this is why I consider it such a chore and only make it twice a year. DH complains about the smell although he likes the finished result .He rushes around offering to open windows and turn on exhaust fans, which, of course, would diminish the memory making properties of the fish.

Now I've got all the recipe memories tucked away in my Passover notebook.

Mets game

We all went to the Mets game on Saturday.  Mark and I made the "kiss cam".  Cool.

Watching Top Gun

Found Top Gun while channel surfing on Sunday night.

Mark, Josh and I first saw the movie when Josh was 4 and we were on vacation in CT.  From that moment on Josh loved all aircraft and wanted to be a fighter pilot. 

He memorized the dialogue, got the soundtrack and when the movie came out for the VCR it was the first movie we bought - for about $25 at the time.

Josh didn't grow up and become a fighter pilot but the movie definitely was a life changing experience - probably  for the whole family.  It's interesting what molds people.

Knitting, etc.

I've been knitting on my toe up magic loop sox - these are for me and made out of corn yarn - sounds weird but that's what it is.  It's terrible what we people who are allergic to wool have to resort to...

 I also took my second/last class on sock knitting and we did a short row heel.  Now all I have to do is straight stockinette until it's long enough.  I do, however, need to get some kind of scale so I'll know how long I can knit the leg.  I have to use just 75 gr of the 150 gr ball.

Then I started a pair of wristlets using a great multicolored yarn I got at the the Vogue knitting show in January.  That should be a good airport/airplane project.

The bathing suit

Well, I had to buy a new bathing suit.  Horrible thought!

First I went to Dillard's and got one of the real expensive ones with the underwires in the bra and all that stuff and went and tried it on.  It was awful!  I would rather appear naked!  At least when you're naked the rolls of flesh kind of smooth out - this suit made me look as if I was made of multiple sausage rings!   Or like the Michelin man.

After that I was going to just give up and sit in the sun wearing shorts and a halter top - or maybe an artfully draped sarong.  However, I decided to go to Steinmart.

I tried on several tankini parts, pretty unstructured and in different sizes, and guess what?  I didn't look too bad.  Plus I had seen the same suit pieces at Dillard's for twice the price!!!

With a black skirted bottom....not too shabby!  To the beach...

Toe up socks

Last week I took a class at my LYS in Tampa, Knit and Knibble.  It taught toe up sock knitting which is good because then I can make the socks longer to cover more of my leg.  This is what is looks like so far - the next class will teach the heel.

Now all I want to learn is how to knit two socks on one circular needle which is really supposed to be the way to go.

Baby blankets

Today I sent out the first two baby blankets to BFF in England who's oldest daughter had twins in October.  It's a simple garter stitch that works up on a diagonal and creates it's own border at the same time.

 

I have three more to make.  They all have to be blue because everyone is having boys!  What's happening with that?

Snow and more snow

Wow - I woke up to snow this morning.  We got about double what was expected - close to 20".  We are running out of places to put it and more is on the way.  Somewhere behind the snow is the house.

It's also quite pretty when it's undisturbed.

Blogging as a dog

I feel that I do a much better job blogging as a dog than I do blogging as me!  Belle's blog is much more entertaining than mine and I enjoy writing it more.  I guess I am channeling my inner dog.  Woof!

Pictures on the wall

My pictures are starting to tell me where they want to be hung in my room. 

I have my cross stitched towns - mostly Charles Wysocki scenes..

my homey cross stitches

and my piggy pictures - featuring Olivia - which I can't seem to get to go the right way so you'll just have to turn sideways to see them...

Yarn show

Today I went to the Vogue Knitting Live show at the Hilton.  I've never been to a knitting show before.  I only went to the vendors in the marketplace because all the classes were sold out.  I hadn't expected to even be here for the show but since we haven't gotten to Florida yet....this was some consolation.

There were a lot of hand dyed yarns and many unique fibers.  I got alpaca, yak and quivit (musk ox) yarns as well as a nice cotton silk blend.

So, from left to right they are alpaca, qiviut/silk blend, merino silk blend (loved the purple) yak and the cotton silk blend.  When I was buying the cotton silk blend the woman on line behind me asked what I'd be making from it.  I said "I don't know" and she chuckled.  We all buy yarns we love and have no idea what we're going to use them for and our stashes grow and grow.  At least Lion Brand Yarn gave out this giant freebie bag to put some of my growing stash in.

The bag is at least two feet tall.  Even Mark was impressed.

My room, etc.

My room is finally starting to look like something.  Too bad I never took any before pictures.

My desk and my chair.

The organized closet done with lots of help from the Container Store.
 
And finally, my new wastepaper basket - crafted with help from Mod Podge.